Food Blog

Saturday had dawned and this was a good day for many reasons, The French beat our old rugby rivals the British, summer was showing what it has in stalled for us and most importantly, after a mad drive most of Friday from KZN to Gauteng chasing flights, I flew into the Cape. Shit, was I happy to see Table Mountain. My first attempt Friday had been a nearly 800km drive to OR Tambo, but just missing the flight. Then a mad dash to Lanseria, but missing that flight one as well. Back to OR Tambo, booking into a hotel. Saturday morning dawned and finally managed to get onto the first flight out. You can imagine how I was freaking out, as I had to be in Cape Town Saturday morning to do the Master cooking class for 80 Menshealth readers.

Its been a crazy week, 3 days of filming the new Woolworths food adds .Friday morning was no let up, all the voice over’s had to be recorded in the studio. Just as that was finished, I had to rush off to be part of a judging panel for the Woolworths national soup competition. 10 really good recipes made it into the final, there were 2 that really stood out, but as with all competitions, there can be only one winner. I had just put down my spoon after the last tasting and was ushered out to get to the airport to catch the last flight to George for the weekend to do a series of cooking demos.
It was crazy, 30 minutes after landing; I was in the kitchen and prepping for the demos the next day. What made the prep easy was most of my dishes was done with Woolworths convenience foods, so it was just sorting out all the ingredients into batches for the recipes, a bit of roasting and I was ready. I finally crashed at about 10 in the evening.

It was a crisp cold, but clear winter morning in Franshoek. There were whips of cloud hanging over the mountain like a scarf keeping the ridges warm. I turned off the main road and into the farm where we were doing the Woolworths strawberry promotional add. I always find it intimidating entering a shoot venue, its just trucks, cable, tents, gear and lighting everywhere and then the people, they are just buzzing in every corner.

September, to me Spring. For as long as I can remember, on the 1st September I always take a ritual swim in the ocean, no matter what the weather is doing to me it’s the start of summer. That my signal or bookmark to getting that old Braai fired up.

All the recipes were milling around in my head as I slowly walked to the breakfast room to meet up with Di and Claire. My mind racing and checking, what have I forgotten? Have I prepped everything? Then there was also the news that I had to break to Claire. Especially after yesterdays little trip, anyway I thought, walk in to breakfast and get it over with, just tell her.

It was a cold morning at Cape Town international, our flight was called and we began to board. I heard a clang, looked around and here came my co chef, Claire dragging her bag, casserole pots and pans clanging down the gangway we boarded the ”Mango” bound for the big city of JHB to prep for the “Talk with Noleen” Woolworths winter cooking insert. I helped Claire with the bag, I could not believe the weight, I was just about to comment, when she informed me it was the casserole pot for my dish – so best I ….